On Monday, Sept. 18, the girls’ varsity field hockey team had an unfortunate loss to the San Francisco University (SFU) Devils, resulting in a 0-1 score. The first two quarters were very back-and-forth between Redwood and SFU, with both teams holding up strong defense. Goalkeeper and senior Caroline Muller had a couple of impressive saves, but for the most part the Giants’ defensive line was tough for the Devils to pass through. Senior Sammy Haan skillfully moved the game from in front of the Giants’ goal to the other side of the field. Approaching halftime, the game was tied 0-0.
About five minutes into the third quarter, SFU scored, just barely slipping by Redwood’s defense, bringing the score to 0-1. The action from the Giants shifted to primarily offensive effort, while still maintaining a strong defensive cushion. Senior Maisie Pipitone made awesome blocks and passes to push the game to the Devils’ side of the field, and strong communication from senior Georgia Bender allowed the team to gain perspective from all over the field. Although Redwood kept their game tight during the remainder of the third and fourth quarters, they were unable to score against SFU, resulting in a final score of 0-1.
Bender comments on some of the setbacks the team has experienced leading up to the game. “We’ve lost a couple of our players early this season due to injuries. If we lose a couple essential starting players it takes a hit on our team’s energy. Team talent can fill in the holes, but it takes some practice,” Bender said. “We also have a lot of new players on varsity this year and we didn’t have an extensive preseason, so we are still building up our team chemistry as a whole.”
Spectator Ian Krumwiede discusses the fight and effort from the Giants. “It was a well-fought game, and Redwood upheld a really tight defense. The [Giants] never seemed to slow down or change their effort during the game, they just got unlucky with their offense,” Krumwiede said.
Bender also elaborates on the importance of playing as a team, and the bond between the players. “Today many of [the Redwood] players were playing individually rather than as a team. When we start playing as a team, there’s a special connection, and our team can be unstoppable,” Bender said.
The next girls’ varsity field hockey game is Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 4 p.m. against Convent. The Giants are sure to bring a strong fight and make for a great game!
